This weekend I experienced a twinge of loneliness. [A good thing perhaps, since my sermon this past Sunday was entitled “You Are Not In This Alone.”] My wife has been off to Michigan spoiling our grandson for a few days, so I had the weekend to myself. It’s been a productive weekend. I’ve mowed grass, done yard work and fixed a couple of things around the house [4 trips to Lowe’s and Home Depot.] I completed a long run on Saturday, watched lots of football and the World Series, and ate lots of stuff Rosemary probably wouldn’t approve of. [I grilled a cheeseburger Friday and covered it with onions sautéed in real butter—I could feel my arteries clogging as I ate it, but it was soo good!] Yet, I have to admit, the house sure gets quiet after a while. I can only imagine what it would be like to live alone day in and day out.
AARP magazine recently reported the results of a landmark study of people ages 45 and older that determined 35% of us are chronically lonely (up from just 20% a decade ago.) Interestingly, the highest percentage was in the 40-50 age bracket. The study also showed that those who attended church regularly or who volunteered had significantly lower loneliness levels than those who didn’t. One might think that those who reached out regularly through social media such as Facebook would be less lonely, but that was not true. As one expert puts it, “using social networking as a substitute for human contact can be like eating celery when you're hungry. It makes you feel better for a short while, but it isn’t real nourishment, so you get hungrier in the long run.”
So what is the cure for loneliness? If you’re going through a lonely season in your life, what can you do? Well first, you can realize that you are never really alone. If you are a believer, Christ resides in your heart. You have a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NKJV). As you cultivate a closer relationship with the Lord through prayer and reading His word you can sing with the hymn writer … “He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known.”
A second key to overcoming loneliness is to connect with God’s people. The church, fellow believers are your new forever family. These are the people you are gong to spend eternity with, so why not get to know them now. They’re probably not perfect, but you already have a lot in common. They are all sinners saved by grace, just like you. We all love the same Jesus and that should be reason enough to come together. You may find temporary companionship at the local bar, but it can’t compare to the fellowship of the family of God. By the way, as, the established members of this family we should be constantly looking to pull in and include those lonely people who are standing on the fringes. It’s our job to make sure they feel included.
One final key to overcoming loneliness is to look for a place to serve. Find a cause. Volunteer for a ministry.
Look for someone else who is in need or lonely and reach out to them. As you do, you will find your own feelings of loneliness vanishing.
Well, Rosemary is back and our house is bustling again with activity. (It’s a good thing I rested up over the weekend while I had the chance.) Yet, I’m hoping I don’t forget the lesson the Lord taught me. People around us are lonely. There is probably someone I know who could use a friend. It’s my job to reach out to them, include them and make them feel like part of the family. It’s your job too!
Have a great week!
Pastor Barry
AARP magazine recently reported the results of a landmark study of people ages 45 and older that determined 35% of us are chronically lonely (up from just 20% a decade ago.) Interestingly, the highest percentage was in the 40-50 age bracket. The study also showed that those who attended church regularly or who volunteered had significantly lower loneliness levels than those who didn’t. One might think that those who reached out regularly through social media such as Facebook would be less lonely, but that was not true. As one expert puts it, “using social networking as a substitute for human contact can be like eating celery when you're hungry. It makes you feel better for a short while, but it isn’t real nourishment, so you get hungrier in the long run.”
So what is the cure for loneliness? If you’re going through a lonely season in your life, what can you do? Well first, you can realize that you are never really alone. If you are a believer, Christ resides in your heart. You have a “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NKJV). As you cultivate a closer relationship with the Lord through prayer and reading His word you can sing with the hymn writer … “He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known.”
A second key to overcoming loneliness is to connect with God’s people. The church, fellow believers are your new forever family. These are the people you are gong to spend eternity with, so why not get to know them now. They’re probably not perfect, but you already have a lot in common. They are all sinners saved by grace, just like you. We all love the same Jesus and that should be reason enough to come together. You may find temporary companionship at the local bar, but it can’t compare to the fellowship of the family of God. By the way, as, the established members of this family we should be constantly looking to pull in and include those lonely people who are standing on the fringes. It’s our job to make sure they feel included.
One final key to overcoming loneliness is to look for a place to serve. Find a cause. Volunteer for a ministry.
Look for someone else who is in need or lonely and reach out to them. As you do, you will find your own feelings of loneliness vanishing.
Well, Rosemary is back and our house is bustling again with activity. (It’s a good thing I rested up over the weekend while I had the chance.) Yet, I’m hoping I don’t forget the lesson the Lord taught me. People around us are lonely. There is probably someone I know who could use a friend. It’s my job to reach out to them, include them and make them feel like part of the family. It’s your job too!
Have a great week!
Pastor Barry
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